Wall protector



Jan. 25, 1944.y c. D.-cAsH WALL PROTECTOR fnz/en. CZ'czud'e @a5/z Patented Jan. 25, 1944;

UNITED A STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,340,173 WALL-Paorccroit :Claude D. Cash, Chicago, Ill. Application November 1, 1941, Serial No. 417,419

(c1. i5-ss) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in a wall protecting device. The preferred embodiment of my invention hereinehown and described is particularly welladapted toupr'o'tect that portion of `awall which is immediately fadjacent to and above a heating device such as a stove or radiator. rIt may also be Vufsfed to 'advantage behind a sink, or in any other place where dirt or moisture is'likely to be deposited upon a wall.

That portion of a Wall of aroom which is adjacent to and immediately abv'e'a stove, radiator or the like, is often unsightly'and dirty and requires frequent cleaning due "to/the deposit thereon by ascending air currents of dirty particles or sooty matter. y y -Y l It is a primary object of my invention to provide as a means to overcome this difliculty, a transparent sheet which overlies the wall so 4as to receive the sooty deposit, but which will not obscure the wall surface or detract from the decorative scheme of the room. I use as a protector a transparent sheet, the surface of which may be readily washed or otherwise cleaned.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a protector which may be easily installed by the user and the size of which can readily be out down to fit the users particular needs. In this connection my invention also provides improved means for securing a flexible sheet to a wall surface at one or more of its edges and for holding it securely and for urging it against the Wall surface at al1 points along said edge or edges. y

Other objects and advantages and features of my invention will become apparent as this description proceeds. l

Reference is herein made tothe drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment `of my invention, and in which like reference numerals relate to like parts.

Fig. 1 is a view of a Wallprotectorpas it is secured to awall; i g

Fig. 2 is a detailed section taken along line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sheet securing means shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the complete Wall protector as assembled.

Reference numeral I indicates a Wall overlying the surface of which is a sheet of flexible material II. This sheet may be transparent, and is preferably formed of a non-fibrous sheet material such as an acetate lm. It is secured to the wall by a strip I2 at its upper edge and by a strip I3 at its lower edge as shown in Fig. 4.

The strip I 2 is preferably formed of metal and is provided with a groove I4 therein. The strip itself comprises a body portion I5 which is disposed in a plane spaced from and parallel to the wall I0. The upper edge of the strip is pro-- vided with an offset wall contacting portionnl,

and the lower edge thereof comprises an offset sheet contacting portion I1. A rod I8 is provided which is of such proportions that it will fit into the groove and clamp between it and the metal strip I2 an edge portion of the flexible sheet vmaterial I I. By this device the sheet is securely held at all points along its upper edge.

The body portion I5 is provided with apertures I9 and the strip as a whole is secured tothe wall I0 by means of the screws 20. It will consequently be seen that although the strip is secured to the wall at only two points, the acetate lm may be securely held under tension at all points along its upper edge. g

The strip I3 which secures the bottom edge of the flexible sheet to the Wall is substantially identical in construction to the strip I2 as above described.V

` It Will be observed that the groove I 4 on the interior surface of the metal strip I2 takes the form of a bead or projection on the exterior surface thereof. This projection serves to deflect outwardly the ascending currents of air and to receive any soot or dirt particles that have not been deposited on the sheet II. This feature serves to prevent deposition of such soot on that portion of the'wall which is immediately above the wall protector.

` The entrance to the groove may be slightly constricted so that the rod.I I8 may .snap into place and be self-retaining. lt will be `further .noted that in Fig. 2 the rod I8,`which is preferably formed of wood, is held Vagainst the wall by means of the metal strip I2 so Vas to prevent any dislodgment thereof after the strip has been screwed against the wall. g The oiset sheet contacting portion I.1"{serve's to urge the flexible sheet tightly against f'the surface of the wall at all points along'its -edge so that the sheet as a whole may lie at Without any wrinkling.

In installing the wall protector, the user may cut down the sheet II to any desired size, and the sheet is then locked to the metal strips by means of the rods. The metal strips are then screwed into the desired position on the wall, the sheet being maintained under a. slight tension so that it will be free of wrinkles.

Although I have described but one preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that, various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention, as dened in the appended claim.

I c1aim:

A wall protector comprising a strip of metal having an intermediate portion spaced from said Wall and offset edge portions contacting said Wall, a longitudinal channel formed in said intermediate portion and facing said wall, a exible non-fibrous sheet overlying said wall, one edge of which passes underneath one of said oiset edge portions of said metal strip and extends into said channel, a rod fitted into said channel so that said flexible sheet is frictionally secured between said rod and said metal strip at al1 points along the edge of said sheet, a portion of the cylindrical surface of said rod projecting from said channel into the space between said intermediate portion and said Wall, and fastening devices passing through said inter-mediate portion of said strip and into said wall to hold said strip in position against said Wall so that said offset edge portions and said -rod bear against said Wall, whereby said rod is prevented from working loose in said channel and said iiexible sheet is urged into close contact with said wall by that portion of said metal strip under which it passes.

v CLAUDE D. CASH. 

